German Jet Ar-234 Makes No Sense

[Red October1984]

What the hell? Who came up with that design. Backwards firing guns....nuff said.

HOW DO YOU USE BACKWARDS FIRING GUNS?

And what are those things that parachute off the wings as soon as you start?

This jet confuses me. I can only use it as a bomber. The gunsight is backwards and everything.

Useless. Even though, IIRC, the IL-2 1946 in-game description says its a recon plane.

[Kptlt. Neuerburg]

Well the 234 is only ment to be used as a bomber. The backwards firing guns are only for defence which uses a periscope gunsite to aim. The parachute things are RATOs (Rocket Assisted Take-Off), basiclly little re-useable rocket motors that help with take-off. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ar-234

[Cybermat47]

Actually, its one of my favourite aircraft. One of my best moments in IL2 sturmovik 1946 was shooting down a b17 in one of those.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

Actually, its one of my favourite aircraft. One of my best moments in IL2 sturmovik 1946 was shooting down a b17 in one of those.

Wow. A b-17. Better than what I've accomplished wit the 234.


As far as jets go, I'll take the Me-262HG-II with R4Ms. The 234 doesn't make sense to do other than bomb.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

The 234 doesn't make sense to do other than bomb.

That might have a little to do with it being designed as a bomber.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

As far as jets go, I'll take the Me-262HG-II with R4Ms.

That thing existed on paper only and has never been build IIRC. That's why I don't like it. The Arado however did see action as a recon aircraft and bomber. It was never intended to be a fighter and therefore only has the defensive armament facing backwards.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Schroeder

That thing existed on paper only and has never been build IIRC. That's why I don't like it. The Arado however did see action as a recon aircraft and bomber. It was never intended to be a fighter and therefore only has the defensive armament facing backwards.

Most pilots ditched the rear firing gun anyway since it was useless and just added weight...

Last German WWII recon flight over the UK was done by an Arado in April '45. We never even detected it!

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

The 234 doesn't make sense to do other than bomb.

You mean it's useful for exactly what it was supposed to do, then? How incredible! I'm surprised Hitler didn't have the thing converted into a fighter mid-way into the design process...

As for the rear-firing guns, it was an attempt by Arado to fit defensive armaments on what is essentially a one-man aircraft. They were fairly useless, as you already know, and most pilots had the things removed to make the aircraft lighter.

EDIT: Dammit, Oberon!

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

EDIT: Dammit, Oberon!

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Last German WWII recon flight over the UK was done by an Arado in April '45. We never even detected it!

That was because of the uber awesome secret stealth tech it had with it. Unfortunately the Nazis took it with them when they left for the dark side of the moon. So we won't hear the full story until they have returned.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

You mean it's useful for exactly what it was supposed to do, then? How incredible!

Yes. I do believe that it is good at what it was supposed to do. But I will take that crappy Russian heavy bomber (TB3 I think) that allows you to kill your own crew (try it, you can) over the Ar-234

I don't use jets a whole lot in IL-2. They seem too out of place. The real flying was done in P-40s, Bf-109s, and others of the sort.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Last German WWII recon flight over the UK was done by an Arado in April '45. We never even detected it!

Are you sure? I've heard that it was taken off the frontline due to a lack of spare parts and fuel sometime at the beginning of 1945.

Though I'm sure that any recon flights over GB wouldn't be detected.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Red October1984

But I will take that crappy Russian heavy bomber (TB3 I think) that allows you to kill your own crew (try it, you can)

Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!


I love doing that.

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!


I love doing that.

Except now whichever ones you kill are dead. If you kill the pilot by (accident) shooting him, he's done for and so are you.

And that is a very slow, very crappy heavy bomber.....but it still has better guns than the 234.